The Fellowship Forum

Sabbath as a distinction of citizenship in Kingdom of God:
There is a commandment (Exodus 20:8-11, Deut 5:12-15) to observe the Sabbath, but in our fleeing from legalism have we neglected the Sabbath and the good things that go with it’s principle?

Why Sabbath?  To clear away distractions and allow an opportunity to experience God’s grace in deeper ways. The deepening intimacy and dependance on God connects with the provision of manna from God in the desert.  Does Sabbath remind us that God is in control (reliquishing our need to create, fix, build).

History of Sabbath:  First reference is to natural creation and God’s rest on the seventh day and second is to exodus from slavery.  Hebrew root means to stop or pause.

What happened?  During the exile in Babylon the seventh day was celebrated very differently by the Persian people.  Very long number of laws and superstitions were added during this period.  The emphasis changed from loving God to trying hard not to anger God.  Lev. 23 clearly shows the day as a celebration, but it became an obligation.

How did Jesus deal with Sabbath?  Took it back to it’s intended roots.

Is it relevant today? Yes.  It can be a day where we can stop providing for ourselves and our futures.  An opportunity to create space for God.    What keeps us from “ceasing”?  Psalm 46:10 and Galatians 5:21

What might it look like:  1. Prepare:  What needs to happen before your sabbath in order to have a day of rest. 2. Focus on God:  What actions will direct your attention toward God through the day 3. Pray and Play:  What are the attivities that will allow you celebrate your relationship with God (church, hosting a meal, resting, etc. ) Isaiah 58:13-14

Ideas to try out:  1. Don’t do any “to-dos” that are on lists.  2. Pick one or two things to “fast” or cease doing for three to six months.  3. Create a Sabbath box to hide away things that you don’t want to use on Sabbath (remote, cell phone, etc).  4.  Prepare the house for Sabbath the day before. 5. Light a candle before and blow it out after the Sabbath.  Hebrews 4:9-11

What about in Ministry:  Decide which day.  Keep it the same.  Decide what you will do and wont do.  24 hours works best, but do what you have to do (12 hours may work for starters).  Try something for periods of 3 to 6 months rather than jumping around from practice to practice. 

Prayerful Questions:
1.  What ways do you need to rest?
2.  When you consider slowing down what fears do you find in your heart?
3. What do you imagine will be the positive results?
4. What might God be asking you to cease from (once a week)?

Psalm for the Sabbath: Psalm 92

Laura had good list of books about the Sabbath in her presentation.

Then we opened up to discussion.  How do we struggle feeling like Sabbath is more about prohabition vs. possitive things.  Can watching a football game be restful activity?  Should Sunday be a part of the Sabbath for a pastor?  Is a worship service a necessary component of a Sabbath?  Setting a time aside and committing to specifics would be an area of growth for many of us.

Relocation:  What does it mean in a gentrified city?  What is the value of relocation (then and now)? 

Does the person who drives in have less value than those who live in the city?  The statements that sound dogmatic about relocation seem so absolute and not necessarily scriptural.  One person indicated that they felt these sentiments sounded prideful.  Another person made the observation that the experience between Denver General and Sky Ridge. One person expressed they felt it was about attitude we express toward one another.  It’s not a clear cut issue that is easy to understand.  Open Door would not do as well if some of us didn’t live here, but the mix is great.  It keeps us grounded in both worlds. 

When does relocation become gentrification?  Is this a question about good or bad or a question about how to respond to gentrification?   “There can be gentrification with justice.” (Article by Bob Lupton on that.) Is the problem that we are mixing incomes which make poorer people even less content with their lives.  At what point are we just bringing our suburban lifestyles to the urban center?  When we come into the city and get invovled with the values and strengths that they have. People shouldn’t feel like they are “sacrificing” to be here because generally we (staff) are here by choice and could at any point leave.   Generally the people we minister to don’t have the choice to “leave.”  How do we live a life that expresses the possibility that responsibilities well managed produce positive environments without embracing material riches as a signature of God’s blessing?

Introduction to an Urban Theology:

God’s Purposes in the Garden:

-         Life and growth.

-         Self-sustainable environment

-         Beautiful (aesthetically pleasing)

-         Built in Vocation

-         Place to be taught: Maybe it was a place of teaching.  Learning how to be garden-keepers.  To learn their purpose.

-         Sustenance was available. Abundance.

-         Built in leisure.

Urban Theology vs. Suburban Theology: Suburban areas have the same structures that cities do.

Urban Theology could be seen about the social justice vs. gospel evangelism argument of the 50s. 

Reviewed the theology of place for Egypt, Wilderness, and the Promised Land.

Sodom: Question of righteousness (none one found righteous)

            What is the minimum amount of righteousness for a city to provide benefit?  What are the extent of those benefits?

Rome, Jerusalem, Babylon.

Structures that make a city what it is:

Population Density

Capitol build

University

Age/History of buildings

Judicial systems

Cultural Museums and place

Sidewalks with right of way space

Sports venues

Mass Transit.

Street size and parking lot size smaller. 

Knowing more people in city. Neighbors.  More personal interactions.

What Aesthetics tell people about their importance.

The value of the machine has emphases in the suburbs over the value of the individual. 

Mixed income vs. homogenous groups.  The geography breaks down because the environments have transformed.  There are very urban areas in suburban location and “suburban” locations in urban areas. 

How does the CCDA principle of “relocation” need to be modified to account for gentrification?